With win over Jersey, CM sets sights on next

That win, an 18-13 triumph over rival Jersey, left the first-year head coach in good humor. "Hopefully," Winslow said of the significance of his first victory, "it's not the last."

After starting the season 0-3, the Eagles take aim at a two-game winning streak when the 2-2 Mascoutah Indians visit Bethalto on Friday.

"This should get us rolling," CM wide receiver Shane Fencel said. "This is what we've been looking for, that first win. Hopefully, we can go out next week and get the next."

Fencel, a 6-foot, 190-pound senior, was on the receiving end of the two biggest plays for the Eagles. His 71-yard touchdown reception on a pass from quarterback Brad Seketa came just 57 seconds after Jersey scored to take its first lead of the season midway through the fourth quarter.

"It was huge, the momentum almost started to change," Fencel said. "But Brad made a good pass and we changed it right around."

That scoring pass gave CM a 12-6 lead and Fencel and Seketa hooked up again on an almost identical play for a 75-yard TD pass that made the Eagles lead 18-6 with 4:08 left in the game.

"He stepped up and made plays tonight," Winslow said of Fencel, who finished with six catches for 161 yards and two TDs.

Those big plays had Winslow second-guessing his reluctance to take more shots downfield against an aggressive Jersey defense.

"They were blitzing a lot and maybe I was a little bit too conservative," Winslow said. "we weren't throwing the ball vertically as, when I look back, we maybe should have."

But Winslow was not averse to taking risks. Twice with a lead in the fourth quarter, Winslow opted against punting on fourth-and-1. The first gamble came on his own 23 with CM up 12-7 with five minutes left.

Seketa's quarterback sneak produced a first down by inches and two plays later, Seketa hit Fencel for the 75-yard strike and a two TD lead.

"Give them credit, going for it on fourth down," Jersey coach Dave Jacobs said. "In that situation where they had the ball, hats off to them. It was a hard-fought game."

CM was stuffed for no gain on fourth-and-1 from the Jersey 45 in the game's final minute. Three passes from Panthers QB Mitch Kimble would put Jersey at the CM 17 for the final play, but Kimble's pass under heavy pressure was incomplete as time expired.

"Every week's going to be just like this one," Winslow said. "Next week when we're at home against Mascoutah, it's going to be the same type of game. Every week's going to be a battle. You've got to get the first one to get the second one.

"We're excited about this win and we'll be ready to roll next week."

Meanwhile, the 0-4 Panthers will resume work to claim win No. 1 under Jacobs, in his first year at Jersey. The Panthers will play at 3-1 Triad on Friday.

"We're saying the same thing every week, we're getting better," said Jacobs, in his 19th season as a head coach following stints at Champaign Central, Rochester, Illiopolis and New Berlin. "But we've got to keep working and break through and get that win."

There was tangible numbers that point to improvement for the Panthers, who put up 411 yards offense against CM. Kimble, a 6-foot-3, 185-pound junior, completed 20 of 30 passes for 363 yards, two TDs and two interceptions.

But the Panthers rushing game continued to struggle, finishing with 48 yards on 20 carries. In four games, Jersey has 54 rushing yards on 92 carries, though lost yardage on sacks has been a burden. CM sacked Kimble five times for minus-40 yards.

And the 400-plus yards - with 85 coming from three pass plays producing no points in the final minute of the first half - still made just 13 points.

"We missed some things, we left some things out on the field," Jacobs said. "We still had a couple breakdowns in pass protection and Mitch has got to get rid of the ball every once in a while and try not to take a sack.

"But we're getting better. We're a very young team. We had two freshman receivers out there that did a good job."

Christian Kimble, the 6-1, 200-pound freshman brother of the Panthers quarterback had four catches for 59 yards. Jersey had two seniors surpass 100 yards receiving, with running back Garrett Jones making seven catches for 182 yards and wideout Justin Carrico at eight catches for 102 yards.